Keith Francis, a sculptor from New Bedford, Mass., is donating his talents to produce a large steel sculpture memorial dedicated to the survivors and those deceased from breast cancer.

This public art project is called Mary, named for a friend of Francis who succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 40. “Recently I had a dream about her and this sculpture, and immediately made a sketch, conceptual drawings and produced a model over the following days,” he said.

“My plan is to acquire financing and locate a permanent location in the United States.”

The sculpture, in the shape of a gently folded pink ribbon, will be made of steel and is projected to weigh about 2,400 pounds. Its dimensions are 8 ft. by 8 ft. by 7 ft., and the ribbon is ¾ inch thick.

“The final memorial location must be open to the public, outdoors and in a large city,” explained Francis ( www.keithfrancisart.com ), whose preference is Dallas, where Susan G. Komen®, a national breast cancer awareness organization, is headquartered.

“Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., are other options. The sculpture will be donated free of charge.”

Prior to the decision about the sculpture’s location, Francis will make a site visit and review the engineering requirements to ensure that the setting is able to accept the weight of this piece of public art.

At this time, the sculpture exists as small-scale model. About $51,000 is needed to fabricate a larger model that is half the size of the finished work, order the custom steel for the full-size sculpture, produce and paint the sculpture and then ship it to the final location. All Metals Welding & Fabrication of Little Compton, R.I., will be producing the sculpture.

A rigging and crane service will be required for installation at the memorial location.

Donations of any amount are being accepted. For those donating $25 or more perks are available, such as drawings and photos of the sculpture as well as books that document the development of the structure. Backers who contribute $500 will have their names inscribed on a memorial plaque at the site of the sculpture.

Francis is hoping to have the project completed by September. “I want to thank all the people who are and will be supporting this project,” he said. “It really means a lot to me. This is a way to create more awareness of breast cancer, and hopefully find a cure some day.”